Navigating The Gambia: Clearing Customs, Monkey Thieves & An Inside A 850-Year-Old Tree | S8E16

After leaving the chaos of Dakar, Galopin and I have dropped anchor in the peaceful Gambian River Delta at Lamin Lodge. Between dodging the quick-fingered local monkeys and hanging out with the awesome lodge crew, this place already feels like home for the next few months. In this episode, we head into Banjul to tackle the full immigration and boat clearance process, pick up local SIM cards, and grab some authentic thiep, lunch, with our guides Akon and Micah. Back in the wild, Akon takes us through jungle and rice paddies out to Daranka Island to go inside a massive 850-year-old Silk Cotton called the Elephant Tree. Stepping inside its hollow trunk—which can fit 20 people—we learn about its deep cultural history, traditional ceremonies, and how it once served as a slave hideout. A living witness to centuries of history, from ancient kingdoms to the scars of the slave trade. this journey highlights the dilemma between traditional agriculture and modern profit, all while navigating the playful dangers of local monkeys. This is a real look the playful dangers of local monkeys and the enduring spirit of The Gambia. 00:00 Intro 00:31 Arch friends 00:55 Smiling bureaucracy 02:21 People's restaurant 03:11 Cell service 04:56 Color of rain 05:32 Monkey swim 06:03 Norwegian relics 07:21 Rice & trees 08:54 The Elephant tree 09:44 Inside the tree 10:42 Next week Some say it’s The Best Sailing Channel on YouTube! Agree or disagree, make your voice heard. Subscribe, like, dislike, or comment. DISCLAIMER: This series is simply intended to offer and give an alternative to conventional TV... for FREE! And if anyone has the good will to reward this series purely on merit because it's somehow funny, mildly interesting, slightly stupid, or bizarrely entertaining, you can do so by giving it a tip on Patreon or Ko-fi: https://www.patreon.com/SailorAlex? ko-fi.com/sailoralex Stay up to date with the following Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/windedvoyage/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/windedvoyage/ Winded Voyage Website: http://www.windedvoyage.com/ Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cuckooracha/ X: https://mobile.twitter.com/SwissSailorAlex/ #windedvoyage #sailinglifestyle #africatravel #solosailor #windedvoyager #sailing #westafrica #sailinglife #galopin #offgridadventure #offthebeatenpath #liveboldly #senior #retired #65 #oldseadog